American Antiquarian Society

An excerpt from a press release issued earlier today...

“Worcester, MA (September 9, 2026)— A gift of more than 2,600 early American menus and related ephemera has significantly increased the American Antiquarian Society’s (AAS) menu collection, expanding its ability to preserve culinary and social history in the United States during the nineteenth century. Spanning from 1841 to 1900, the collection includes menus, invitations, seating charts, and trade cards from restaurants and private dining events across the country and world. Henry Voigt, a longtime collector and authority on American menus, donated the collection this spring…” 

Founded in 1812, the American Antiquarian Society is a national research library housing a vast collection of pre-twentieth-century American imprints, including books, pamphlets, broadsides, and newspapers. With its longstanding commitment to both preservation and scholarly access, it is an ideal home for my collection of nineteenth-century menus, which was assembled with future research in mind. The short video below introduces the AAS and highlights its vital work in preserving and making accessible the historical record of American life.

Moving forward, I will  continue to focus on the twentieth century. As the 1900s recede from living memory, the period increasingly enters the realm of historical study—an era to be examined, analyzed, and interpreted through the evidence it left behind.

Mementos from India During World War II

1943-1945 

The U.S. military presence in India expanded rapidly during World War II, growing from virtually zero in early 1942 to over 160,000 troops by August 1945.1 Their mission was to defend the subcontinent against a Japanese invasion, secure vital supply lines, and airlift military aid over the Himalayas to the Chinese Nationalist Army along the perilous route known as “The Hump.” Beyond the base gates, local Chinese restaurateurs offered servicemen affordable places to eat. On occasion, soldiers kept menus from these establishments as souvenirs—artifacts that today offer a glimpse into a largely forgotten chapter of the American wartime experience in India.2

What’s in a Name? Everything.

San Francisco, 

1900-1908 

By 1900, Chinese restaurants were beginning to attract American-born middle-class diners. This shift occurred gradually as Chinese chefs invented new dishes like chop suey and chow mein to suit American tastes. Over time, the menus were expanded to also include a large number of so-called “American dishes.” Two early menus from a well-known Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, printed during the first years of the twentieth century, capture a pivotal moment in this transition. The restaurant changed a single letter in its name, signaling that it was now targeting a broader clientele.

The Age of Confidence

Buffalo, New York 

1901 

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States. The semiquincentennial of American independence invites both celebration and reflection on the nation's past. In this essay, we return to the year 1901, which now stands at the midpoint of the country’s history. The nineteenth century witnessed the development of the telegraph, railroad, and telephone, fostering optimism about a future that seemed destined to benefit all citizens. Writer Henry Allen called the first decade of the twentieth century “The Age of Confidence,” when “Teddy Roosevelt busted the trusts, started digging the Panama Canal, and sent the Great White Fleet around the world.” Six menu cards with beautiful illustrations of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo capture the confident spirit and optimism of the age. 

Edith Wharton

The customs and social codes of the Gilded Age were portrayed by Edith Wharton (1862–1937) who drew on her firsthand knowledge of upper-class society. Born in 1862, she was the daughter of George Frederic Jones, whose wealthy family is said to have inspired the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses.” Beginning in 1880, Wharton became an active participant in New York high society. She closely observed its rituals and later wove them into her novels and stories. Among these traditions were lavish formal dinners, where menus served as markers of social standing and symbols of sophistication and pride. The following quotations from Wharton’s novels are paired with small menu cards from private residences in the late nineteenth century. Together, they offer a window into this now-vanished world. (Scroll over images for descriptions of the menus.)